14 Ups & 3 Downs From WWE SmackDown Superstar Shake-Up

In which Roman Reigns shows up and punches Vince McMahon in the face.

Roman Reigns Vince McMahon
WWE.com

WWE's latest Superstar Shake-Up concluded with last night's SmackDown, as swathes of new faces joined the company's most consistent weekly show as part of their annual roster reshuffle.

First, we pour one out for those no longer with us. AJ Styles, the consensus best wrestler in the company, will be missed more than anyone, though Raw's main event scene suddenly looks a whole lot more exciting. The Usos are WWE's greatest tag team, one of the best in company history, and irreplaceable. SmackDown's MVP for much of his run, The Miz leaves a gaping upper-midcard hole. Andrade early-year rise won't continue on Tuesday nights. It was a shame to see Team Blue missing out on Aleister Black and Ricochet, too.

Despite all this, last night's SmackDown delivered on every lofty promise, with a strong set of Shake-Up selections mitigating any damage dealt by the losses. For those enthused by the roster changes, we got to see Vince McMahon getting punched in the face, a fun Kevin Owens Show episode, a couple of entertaining matches, and a new-look women's tag division emerging. What's not to love?

Time will tell how the refreshed SmackDown roster fares, but things look very promising after last night...

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for six years and is currently WhatCulture's Senior Wrestling Reporter. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.